Enter the Dream Walkers
by Bookworm1978
Summary: The Turtles had interested a new group of people, who want to learn more about them and their potential as a new breed. But will their interest be the death of the four? Teen to be on the safe side, because of dark themes, and Raph's potty mouth. Now a cross-over! By a lot of universes...- -* Why can't I keep a story simple?
1. A Meeting is Called

"What do you want to do? Test them? You just knocked them out!"

"We will test them." One of the robed ones confirmed.

"I ask again. How?"

"In a manner that a mere kraang would fail to understand." Another of the robed ones said, in a cold, sharp manner, much more chilling than the first speaker. "Do not meddle."  
Oh, someone got their robes in a twist, I see." Sub-Prime said with sardonic glee.

The hidden faces turned in each other's direction. The figures at the table also turned to glance at each other with various degrees of amusement and annoyance.  
"Kraang wishes the council to be informed." one of the kraang spoke up with a glance at Sub Prime, which earned an eye roll from him. "That the working theory behind those which are known as dream walkers is at best slip-shod and at worst, non-exsistant to all known methods of data-collection that kraang is currently familiar with. This is not to kraang's liking. Kraang also wishes to inform Kraang relations known in the earth culture that currently speaks the language known as english as cousins, that the Krang-prime wishes both the possession of the one known as April O-Neil as well as the termination of the ones known as the turtles. Of whom you have foolishly and arrogantly decided to observe in this pointless and arbritrary study."  
"Muzzle your droid, Sub-Prime." Barked the cold-voiced one at almost the same instant as The Head Neutrino, Max snapped. "Shut it, Kraang."

"The kraang wished to log that wish is known as.."  
"Stand down, Kraang!Stupid!"Sub-Prime snapped irritably. He rolled his eyes again, mimicked by the Erma-suit head above. "I wish, I really wish that one of you can fix those sub-routines, so these idiots can finally speak the current earth common!"

"You get one language upgrade for your drones every thousand years of so. You know that." One of the neutrinos reminded Sub tersely.  
"So it is now our fault that this puny planet changes it's common so fast?" Sub replied angrily. "It is somehow my fault that the switched from Latin to greek to french to English to who knows what so fast? Is it any wonder that they sound so stilted now? I mean we got to be due for an upgrade soon!"

"The Kraang lack that which is known as the long view." One of the lower ranked of the Neutrino party taunted, causing the group he was standing around to start laughing. A stern glare from their head soon got them to settle down.

"Statistically, it will most likely be Spanish." One of the neutrino scouts said after a brief pause.

"Actually, I disagree. Mandrin would become dominate."  
"But Spanish is literally spreading like fire."  
"Bt there are more people in china. Statistically, it holds out."  
"Stimatics."  
"Population will win…"  
"Could we please just focus here!?" Sub-Prime snapped. "Honestly! And you think the Kraang are the stupid ones here!"

"That is what is known as a good one, sir."

"Not that it's not true…" Sub added, deflating slightly.

"This argument is pointless. We are not asking for permission." Said a third of the robed dream walkers, in a calm, emotionless manner.

"Then what is the point of calling the meeting?" Demanded Zack, the head Neutrino, and Sum-Prime at the same time.

"We wished to let you know that the tests were already under way, and that any tampering from either of your people would be met with the gravest of consequences."


	2. Christmas Eve-Part one

"The truth is, I miss you.

You were gone too soon.

It was like watching a

Beautiful sunset at noon."  
ERB: Jim Henson vs Stan Lee By EpicLLoyd and Nice Peter

"Hello?" April called out from the front door. She had valiantly tried to open the door with her hands and arms loaded down with bags of groceries. She hadn't gotten far. "Hello? A little help here? Where is everyone? Sorry I got back a day late. The roads are horrible."  
The door opened just as she finished talking. A pair of green hands quickly relieved the human of at least half of her burden with silent efficiency. All the brothers were master ninjas, it was true. But only one live the way of invisibility with the same natural ease as breathing. April beamed up at him. "Thanks, Leo."

Leo inclined his head ever so slightly, as he moved to allow her in. Then turned and led the way tot he kitchen. They walked in with something like their normal companionable silence. But something was off. There was a tension in the air between them that was growing more obvious by the second. April could sense something was off with Leo. It was something he was mentally blocking off from her, and she didn't try hard to break the wall. It felt wrong. But it being there made her feel very nervous.

Still, the two worked as efficiently as ever. The groceries were nearly all put away before Leo spoke, causing April to jump at his abruptness. "We have been trying to contact you for weeks. Where were you?"

She stared at him with wide open eyes, her mouth was nearly as wide open as her mouth. Her eyebrows rose as high as they could go. Leo was, well, singleminded was a good word for it. But she had not heard him talk like that in...well, a long time. And never when he was anything but super stressed-out."My phone is broke. Why, what happened? Did something happen?"

Something about the way Leo was staring at her made her continue to babble on nervously. "My phone has been acting up for weeks now. I can't get anything incoming, but I was able to call. It was really strange. I was hoping Donnie can look at it. Even missed calls from Dad. I only found out afterward, when he got home, freaking out. It was like every invasion we had, times ten. He even had panic attacks. It was horrible. But I figured you guys will be fine, so I stayed an extra day to calm him down before coming over. Then driving here was just, you know. Insane. And I thought if anything happened, you would have emailed me. Or Casey would have let me know through Dad's phone. What happened?"  
Leo looked away and sighed. For the first time, she noticed that he looked really tired. Haggard even. "I forgot about Kirby's number," he muttered, as though to himself. "Sorry about that."  
She reached over and placed her hand over his large one. When he jerked away, it was like a slap in the face. But she did her best not to get offended. "Are you okay? You look ill. What happened?" She asked as he started walking away. "Leo? Leo!"

Leo moved away from her again. She blinked, startled. Then hurried after himagain., and grabbed his arm. "Leo! What is the matter with you? Talk to me."

He paused and looked down at her. She gasped and shrank back, letting go. She never, ever seen so much cold hate in his eyes. So much fury. Yet he also looked at her with a faint glimmer of pity, as though he knew something that was going to hurt badly when she found out. But part of him seemed grimly glad that he had the power to hurt her. "You should have come over sooner," he said emotionlessly. Then he walked away and outside, leaving behind a lost, scared, worried curious girl he once called sister in his wake.

Raph cursed under his breath as he struggled to manage to open the door with his arms full. He managed to get everything inside and on the table at last. He rubbed snow out of his eyes, then busily began to unwrap the icy scarf from his face and neck. A flash of movement caught his eye, and he paused, dropping into a defensive posture without thought or hesitation. But it didn't feel like an enemy, and his defensiveness slid to annoyance as he turned. Leo, don't start on me, alright? I don't want…" He broke off in mid-rant, his annoyance sliding into shock. "Your not Leo. What the shell are you doing here?"  
April raised her hands in mock-surrender. One red brow raised. "Um, my farmhouse?" She said staring back, annoyance warring with amusement. "Remember? I promised to spend Christmas with you guys? It's Christmas Eve?"

"You did?" Raph echoed, staring down at her blankly. "It's Christmas Eve?"

"Um, yeah? I just said that."

"Guess time flies in Hell." Raph sighed, looking away as an expression of grief crossed his features.

April frowned in worry. Raph was not acting like himself. First Leo, now this. "What happened to you guys?" She asked, the knot of worry tightening with every moment that passed. "Leo won't tell me, he was not acting like himself at all. He was so cold and angry! Raph, please? Tell me what's going on?"

"Apes." Raph squared his broad shoulders, as though taking a heavy burden on himself. "Where had you been?"  
"Leo asked me that too. My phone is all messed up."

"And Case?"  
"Out of the state with his family. Remember?"  
Raph smacked his forehead. "Duh. How could I have forgotten? Stupid."  
"Hey, since when did you call yourself names?" April exclaimed, grabbing his arm. "Nobody talks about my brother that way, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah. Got it." A glimmer of the old Raph spirit shown with his crooked smile as he glanced at her. The smile left his face far too soon, however, when an alarm went off in his coat. "Shell," he muttered. "Damn! Do me a solid, Apes? Start some hot water, okay? I got to check something."  
"Sure, no problem. Tea for Master Splinter?"

Raph's face contorted with a pained grimace. "No, April. Not this time." He muttered grimly before hurrying away.

April found herself staring at a door again. Shaking her head, she hastened to get the kettle on. "Guys, what happened? It has only been a month."


	3. Christmas Eve-part two

Time passed. Leo came and went. He never said a word, never even seemed aware that she was there. All he did was walk in, fill a cup with water from the kettle that April had made sure, at Raph's request, was always full of boiling hot water, made tea and left. He didn't seem to notice her. So she observed him, both that time, and whenever he was in the same room, noting the exhaustion that seemed to drag at him, the coldness that radiated from him, and wondered. Wondered what could have possibly changed him so much.

Raph came for hot water a few times, thanked her with a curt nod and vanished again. He came in a couple of other times for some broth. One of those times, she managed to bully him into getting some food into him. That was her only victory. The last time this happened was a little over an hour ago. She hadn't seen Mikey, Donnie or Splinter all day. Where were they? What happened to the two that she seen?

Leo's change was obvious. He never was so cold and indifferent before. Raph's was more subtle. He was quieter, didn't seem so certain of himself. Not so energized. He at least seemed glad to see her, but it was laced with some kind of crazy reluctance. And Raph was not the kind to hesitate to say or do anything. Seeing that made April worry. April felt like she was slowly going mad with worry and speculation.

She had mostly stayed in the kitchen, only venturing out in the living room once she ran out of things to do in the kitchen. She washed a mountain of dishes. She cleaned the filthy floor and table. She dealt with the mountain of trash. Dinner was bubbling on the stove, another kettle was bubbling as well. A loaf of bread baked, filling the stale air with a far more pleasant aroma. She had made a list for needed groceries. It looked like the turtles had burned through most of the canned food that was left as an emergency stash from last time. She checked the woodpile outside, thankfully that looked good, under all the whole room sparkled by the evening, when she ventured out, looking around nervously at what she might find. She decided it was the silence that was getting to her. She never knew her adopted family to be so quiet. And where was half of them!

She had decluttered the living room and was putting some wood on the fire when Raph showed up. She had to admit to herself, that even though it was seriously annoying to do all this cleaning, that it was definitely a needed step. The boys definitely had been living up here like it was some kind of man cave...well, turtle cave. And Raph showed his appreciation for her work with a rare Raph smile. It did not last long, however. Then again, Raph was never much of a smiler.

"I...I need your help, Apes." He said gruffly. He obviously thought she was going to follow since he vanished up the stairs again. He was right. She hurried after him.

She heard the coughing before they had finished climbing the stairs. A deep rasping cough that seemed to go on forever. Hearing it made April's chest hurt, in sympathy. Raph led her to the second bedroom door and paused there. He glanced at her for a moment, with an unreadable expression on his face. Then he looked away again, pushed the door open, and moved aside to let her in first. The sound of the coughing was much louder, and April found herself hesitating, unsure that she actually wanted to go in, and find out what is going on. But no. Her family needed her. Giving herself a firm mental shake, she straightened her shoulders and walked in.


	4. Christmas Eve-Part three

It was very dark inside. One window had it's shade up a scant few inches, allowing in a little weak winter sunshine. Beside the window rested a chair, with a pile of books beside it. The rest of the room was very dim and it took April's eyes a minute to adjust. But when they did, and she was able to see the figure lying in the bed, she had to bite back a gasp. She almost wished she could unsee what was before her.

The figure in the bed was so thin! Even with the shell peeking out above the blanket that let her know one of the turtles was there, it hardly made a ripple under the covers. She had to draw closer to see the face clearly, but she already knew who she would find. Only one of the brothers was so tall.

She knelt by the bed and put her hands on one of his arms. Dark brown eyes circled with purple that had nothing to do with his customary mask cracked open at the touch. Fever-glazed, they stared at her blankly for a moment, reminding her of the time he had temporarily lost his intelligence. Then they crinkled as his wan face brightened into what was almost a smile. He spoke, his familiar voice a weak, rasping ghost of itself, but with all his old familiar warmth. "I had hoped that you were here for real."

"Of course I am. I promised to spend Christmas with you guys." April said, forcing herself to be cheerful. But her worry now had gone through the roof. Where were Splinter and Mikey! There is no way they would not be hovering nearby if Donnie was so sick. Unless they were sick too? "Where is Mikey?" She asked, dreading the answer, but not able to deal with not knowing a moment longer. "Where is Master splinter?"  
Donnie glanced behind her with a lost expression. Raph cleared his throat, reminding April that he was there. "Aww, shell, April. A, well, a lot happened since we got here."

"Yeah, I can't believe it's Christmas."  
Is your dad coming over?" Raph asked, grabbing the chair that was by the window, and pulling it over to the other side of the bed. "And Case?"

"No, Dad is visiting family. Casey's out of the state with his sister."

"Oh."  
Raph glanced at Don again, as April watched. The expression on their face was doing nothing to lessen their worry level. "Where were you, April?" Donnie asked at last. He was the only one that asked so far who didn't sound like he was accusing her of keeping away on purpose, for which she was really grateful. But his voice was so mournful! It broke her heart to hear it.

"She said her phone was on the fritz," Raph said as he leaned forward on the bed.  
"And Casey is out of town." Donnie continued with a weary groan. "No wonder we couldn't get in touch with them"

"Yeah. I bet the knucklehead even managed to forget to bring his phone."  
"Won't be the first time."

"Yeah, bonehead."

"Can someone please fill me in on what's going on?" April broke in impatiently.

The two stared at her. There were no people anywhere that had less in common that Raph and Donnie. Raph was gruff, boisterous, impatient and hot-headed. He preferred to act rather than think, even though he was far from stupid. Don was quiet, thoughtful, considerate, and gentle to the point of being hyper-sensitive. He often got lost in thought and would spend so much time thinking about how he should act that it sometimes takes someone to push him to act. But at that moment, their expressions were exactly the same. And the fear that was in here blossomed into a writhing serpent, its fangs digging deeply into her stomach.

"April, um, I'm not sure how to." Donnie began in a worried voice, sounding very much like a doctor with really bad news. But he was silenced by a wave of coughing, so strong that it caused the bed to shake. Raph was leaning over him in a heartbeat, a trashcan in his hand. It became clear why when Donnie started hacking something up. April tried hard not to look. She busied herself with gently rubbing his back and when the fit seemed to be wearing down, she got a glass of water for him to sip.  
"Super nurses." Donnie gasped, once he had managed to take a sip or two without choking on the water.

"Goof." Raph grinned. He put the trashcan back wherever it was before and started searching around the nightstand.

"I only gave you some water." April protested with a laugh.

"Gave it like a champ."  
"Hey champ, get him to take this," Raph added, rolling his eyes as Donnie watched her with some of that old adoration from five years before in his honest brown eyes.

She only smiled and nodded, offering Donnie the small cup of brown syrupy liquid. Donnie made a face but obediently downed the dose. HIs breathing was getting harsh, and there was a gurgling in the end of each exhale that sounded horrible.

"Can you go grab some hot water?" Raph asked softly, as they both watched Donnie hastily drink water after the medicine. "I'll tell you everything. Once we make Donnie more comfortable."

"Deal."

April hurried to grab the kettle and hurried back. She followed every instruction Raph gave, as the turtle readied a humidifier with the hot water and some herbs he put in to steep. Between the two of them, they got Donnie to take the rest of a long line of medicines, and the turtle as comfortable as they could make him. He watched everything with weary interest, only rousing himself to speak once. "How does your patient look, Dr. Rapheal?"

"Like he will get healthy and annoying in no time, Dr. Donitello. So tell him to get cracking. I'm missing all my games here!"

A weak smile flitted quickly across Don's face.

When everything was done, and Don seemed to be breathing a bit easier, the other two once again was seated. "So, let's hear it," April said, looking scared but resolved.  
"Donnie, you rest. I'll do the telling. Got it?"  
Donnie nodded and sipped the fresh cup of tea April had made for him and trying hard to act like he liked it.  
"See. Wait, you remember that blizzard that hit about, oh, I don't know. Three or four days before Thanksgiving?"  
"Yeah, wait! You didn't try to drive in that thing, did you? It buried New York! They even gave it a name! Justin!"

"I forgot that name," Donnie said softly, with a sad little smile on his face.

"Yeah, whatever," Raph muttered, looking away. "No, we tried to beat it. If we had stayed in the lair, we would have been stuck for who knows how long, and Splinter was already at the farmhouse. Went there to get ready for Thanksgiving. He would have been on his own here."

April nodded, and glanced at Don. She felt relieved to see that he was breathing better and his color was a bit better.

"So we left with a safe cushion of time, we thought. And it would have been. But things...happened."


	5. Flashback-Driving to the Farmhouse

"Jingle bells! Jingle bells! Jingle all the way! Oh what fun, it is to.."  
"Shut up already!"  
"Aww, Raphie! Tis the season of Christmas!"

"Tis the season of shut the shell up!" Raph growled darkly. "Sides, it ain't even Thanksgiving yet, let alone Christmas!"

There was a silence that lasted several minutes after that outbreak. Then Mikey flashed an impish smile at his brothers and again opened his mouth. "Turkey bells! Turkey bells! Gobble all the way!"  
"Mikey! If ya don't cut out that singing, I'll Jingle your bells!"

"OH ho! Looks like the grinch got up on the wrong side of his shell this morning!" Mikey teased, sticking his tongue out at his enraged sibling. The next instant he let out a muffled squeak as Raph's hand flashed out, grabbing that tongue and pulling it. He did not pull it very hard, or long, but it did have the desired effect of stilling it, as Mikey check to see if it was okay.

"Guys, just relax, okay?" Leo said from the driver's seat. "We still got some hours to go. Besides," He added, with an amused glance at the turtle slumped beside him. "Our navigator is asleep."  
"Yeah, shell for brains. Don't wake him." Raph scolded, seeming to forget that he was being just as loud a minute ago.

Mikey leaned over the back of the front passenger seat to peer down at the slumbering Donatello. "Aww! Isn't he cute with that drool on his chin? Is poor wittle Don-san Sleepy weepie?"

"Get down, you great loon!" Raph growled as he reached over to grab him by his belt and yank him back to his seat.  
"Mikey! Are you trying to wake him?" Leo added, glaring at him through the rearview mirror.  
Mikey made a face at the both of them, causing Leo to shake his head in annoyance, and flame to burn brightly in Raph's eyes. "That's it! The hothead growled. "I'm hitting him. Hard."  
"Shut up, you two!" with a worried glance at his fourth brother, who twitched and shifted in his seat. Remarkably, the notorious light sleeper shifted back to slumber.

"Oh, we won't wake him," Mikey said confidently, a cocky little grin on his face, as he leaned to the side where Raph, who forgot he was wearing his seatbelt, was straining to grab him for that promised hit.

"You two are enough to wake the dead." Leo started to scold in a quiet but cold voice. Then he paused. Glancing at Don again, he added distrustfully. "What did you do, Mikey?"

"Slipped something into his coffee."  
"You what!"

"I had to! I know for a fact that he hadn't slept in the last three days!"

"That still is no excuse to drug..wait, what? Three days?"  
"Turtle's honor, dude! Maybe longer. Ever since that weather been predicting the blizzard, and you and Sensei been in uper-planning mode."

Leo's expression turned wry, as he mentally chided himself for not checking on his brainy brother more. Why can't any of his brothers have any sense! "Yeah, that figures. Was it strong?"  
"Nah, Sleepquil."

"How did he not taste that?" Raph demanded, getting back into the conversation.

"I made the coffee. Told Donnie I was trying out a new flavor. Donnie said it needed work."  
"Hated it, okay."

"I would have too."  
"Yeah, next time it will be in tea."  
There was a silence after Mikey's last statement. Then Leo said in his most diplomatic way. "Let's not plan to drug anyone in the foreseeable future, okay? I'm sure you mean well, but it might be better just to make sure Don goes to bed regularly."  
Mikey's smile was a little creepy. "Who says I was planning to dose Don next?" He asked, in an innocent tone.

"You touch my drink, and I swear I'll knock the green off ya!"

"Joking! I was joking!"  
"Joke this!"

Leo sighed as Mikey squealed in outrage, as Raph unclipped his seatbelt to leap at him and grappled with him. In minutes, he had Mikey by the head and was in full noogie mode. "Dude!" A muffled Mikey voice floated from under an armpit. "When did you last shower? Gross!"

"Just can it, you two! I refuse to go through the rest of the drive hearing you two bicker."

Silence descended again. This time it lasted for five perfect minutes before Someone broke it. This time, it was Raph. "Who would had think it."  
"What?" Mikey asked, tearing his attention from the window and back to his brother.  
"That ya used that evil little brain for good."  
"Hey!"

"What? I was complimenting ya."  
"By calling me evil?"

"Well if the shell fits."  
"Kettle, I'll like to introduce you to pot!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"  
It means you don't got room to talk, Evil Canshello!"  
"What? That don't even make sense!"  
Oh, so now I don't make sense?!"  
"Okay, since when was that news?"

"Guys! Can it! Now! What got into you, Mikey? Raph was being nice, for once!" Leo demanded. "What is the big problem?"

"Oh, nothing." Mikey chirped, grinning as he went from grumpy to mischevious in the blink of an eye. " I was just winding Raph up."

"Don't. I think he's right. Evil is too mild a word for you."  
"Et Tu, Leo?"  
"Wait, since when did you read Shakespeare?" Leo asked, curiously."  
"Um, like, since ten?"  
"I'm calling bull on that one." Raph snorted.  
"Why don't you two find something quiet to do? Leo suggested, trying to stop another quarrel before it had a chance to start. "I think the two of you might manage to wake a drugged up Donnie, after all."

"Not with the amount I gave him."  
Leo's and Raph's eyes went wide with sudden worry at that. "How...how much did you give him?" Leo asked.

Mikey smiled at Leo's panicked tone, and at the way Raph dove to check Don's pulse. "Chill! I was joking! Not eve a full dose! He was already exhausted, remember?"  
"Yer going to be the death of me." Raph groaned, leaning back in his seat. Then stretching out, he crawled into the last seat, evidently taking inspiration from Don to take a nap of his own.

"Who, Moi?" Mikey asked, batting his eyes innocently. Raph ignored him. Leo sighed.

"Mikey, go do something."  
"Can I drive?"  
"Not on a bet."  
"Aww."

"Why don't you play a game or something."  
"Whatevers."

Leo sighed in relief a minute later, when the familiar sounds of beeps and chirps mixed with the steady sound of slumbering turtles and the hum of the engine. He put a headset on, one-handed, and was soon humming along to a favorite broadway song as he drove. Rare peace descended for a blissful hour. And nobody, not even Leo, paid attention to the first signs of trouble in the tumbling of the first snowflakes.


	6. Flashback-Unexpected delay

Donnie woke to the sound of loud, vigorous swearing, in both English and Japanese. Oh good, it was good to know that Raph's been applying himself. Yawning, he looked around him, trying to get his bearing. And stopped to stare, confused. There were not moving, and there was no sign of the farmhouse. So, logically, they should be moving. But they were not? Snow was falling fast outside, adding to his confusion. Wasn't the blizzard due tomorrow?  
Getting out, he fell in a snowdrift. Looking down, he realized that they were in a ditch. Sighing, he picked himself up, wincing at the way one of his ankles protested from the awkward landing, and walked to the front of the van, where the others were. There he found out two new facts that caused him to start to worry. One, not all the white was from snow, after all, a lot of it was smoke. And two, it was not Raph swearing a blue streak. It was Leo.  
"What happened?" He asked, looking from Raph to Leo, in confusion and worry.  
"Leo nodded off and drove us into a ditch," Raph growled.  
"I did not nod off." Leo retorted in stiff, cold tones. "There was some black ice on the road, and I hit it before I knew it was there. I was not even going that fast."  
"Then what happened?" Donnie asked, frowning even more. A simple slide should not have produced a smoking hood.

"I...I don't know." Leo admitted, drooping a little. "It just started smoking, soon after we crashed."

"So we slid on some ice, wound up in a ditch, and the engine starts smoking?" Donnie said slowly, staring at the hood thoughtfully.

"Yeah, that about sums it up."

"So, Donnie's like Sleeping Beauty and Leo is like Skating Beauty." Mikey laughed, from where he watched on the roof. "Maybe we should get them some pretty dresses!"

"Shut up, Mikey!" The other three shouted at the same time.  
"Whoa, tough crowd."

"Mikey. Last. Warning." Raph glared, staring up at him with a raised fist.

"Well, let's see what we got here," Donnie muttered to himself, as he cracked open the hood. Ignoring the mounting argument around him, he hoisted himself up so he could see better.

Leo, in an effort to ignore the reptilian Siskel and Ebert show nearby, began to pay attention to the mechanic instead.

Leaning on the van's side, he watched. So he was the only one who didn't jump when Don swore. "What is it?"

"Block's cracked."

"Damn. Even I know that's bad." Leo sighed. "Then we walk."

"In this?" Donnie demanded. "It already started to snow. It was supposed to start tomorrow. What if we don't make it before the blizzard really hits?"

"This, as bad as it is right now, is only the precursor to the blizzard that is heading our way. We got to get to the farmhouse before it hits. If it does hit before we get there, then we'll try to build some kind of shelter. But we got to try."

"But that's at least fifty miles!" Mikey protested. He glanced up at the clouds, from which snow continued to mercilessly tumble down from. "What about...you know?"

"You know is a good point, Leo," Don said from the hood. "And we only have enough supplies for a day, two at most."I never counted on the block to crack like this."  
"What caused it?"  
"Well sliding into the ditch certainly didn't do it any favors. Truth was, I was not really happy about it when I found that block, but it was the best I could do at the time."

"Nobody blames you."  
"Well, I do!" Don growled suddenly, slamming the hood down with more than necessary force. "It should have been replaced weeks ago. What was I thinking? I am so stupid sometimes!"  
"Shh, Donnie, shh," Leo said soothingly, resting both hands on Don's tensed shoulders. "There is nothing we can do about it now but try to make the best of this. We know...I know you did your very best."  
"Yeah? Well, it wasn't good enough." Donnie snapped darkly.  
The three watched as Donnie slunk around the side of the van and vanished. Three sets of eyes turned to each other. The set of green glared sullenly. "Great, now we got the Don Sulks to deal with on top of everything."

"Can you try to be a little less of a jerk right now, Raph?" Dark blue eyes narrowed. "I am trying to think."  
Light blue eyes sparked teasingly. "Looks like hard work!"

"Mikey!"

"What?"  
The two glared at the youngest who at least had the good sense to back away, grinning sheepishly.

"There is only one course of action, as I see it. We got to hike it to the farmhouse."

Raph growled and crossed his arms. But to Leo's relief, nodded after a moment's stewing. "I ain't exactly liking this. But what choice we got?"  
"Exactly. Grab some gear. Get the other to help. That means you too, Mikey!" Leo added with a quick glare at his youngest brother.  
Mikey eeped, raised his hands in a gesture of peace and ran to the back to join Donnie.

"We leave in five." Leo continued.

"In a real rush, are we?"

"Let's just say," Leo said slowly, glancing up at the sky again the at the steadily collecting snow around them with a worried frown, "The sooner we are out of this, the better I will like it."

"Yeah, you and me both, fearless," Raph said, softly, his eyes also trailing up to the gray sky, and the tiny flakes that tumbled down about them, uncaring if they froze or not.

Without another word, not wanting to waste any time, the two older brothers followed the youngest two to the back of the van and started helping them get packs out and start packing for the hike ahead of them.


	7. Flashback-Walking to the Farmhouse

The start of the hike was tiring, but not that hard. The four quickly formed a rough line. Leo was at the head, with a flashlight in one hand and an extra pack on his other arm. He slung the other one on his back with an easy grace. Thankfully, they all had their heavy jackets and boots with them, and his was a dark brown, that blended in with the tree bark around them.

Then Mikey shivered behind, with the water over his back, the straps crossing his bright yellow jacket. A bright burst of sunlight against the white and brown and evergreen of their surroundings. After a few attempts at a snowball fight, he settled down under the combined power of Leo and Raph's death glare.

Donnie followed quietly afterward, with the pack that carried their medical supplies on his back, and his beak buried in a topical map. Now and then he would glance around as though to get his bearings, nod slightly, and vanish again behind the map. HIs white coat blended in even better than Leo's had.

Raph brought up the rear, the rest of the packs strapped about him like some kind of demented Christmas Tree, yet none of the combined weight seemed to slow him down. One of his hands held a stout walking stick. It already had come in handy, having hit Mikey on his shell for the last snowball. His green coat was almost as bright as Mikey's but seemed to fit the environment better.

The snow seemed to hold off for about an hour or so. But at time went on, and the snow thickened to a nearly impenetrable wall of white, it became clear to the brothers that the blizzard was early. Really really early. Like it's hitting right now early.

Leo peered about them. He frowned heavily when he realized that his brothers, so close to each other, was indistinct shapes to him. Except for Mikey, who was a floating ball of yellow to him.  
"Okay, we need to huddle!" He yelled, stopping and turning to face the three. Mikey didn't seem to see, he ran right into Leo. Donnie managed to stop just before he followed suit. Thankfully he seemed to see the yellow coat as clearly as Leo did. Raph paused, and said something unrepeatable at the ground.

Leo was in complete agreement."We need to huddle." he said again, as he helped Mikey get his balance. "We can't just keep trudging like this."  
"Agreed." Donnie sighed, his voice barely heard over the roar of the wind. "The map tore from my hand five minutes ago. I don't even know if we are on the road anymore."  
"Well, we need to find out." Leo decided.  
"How?"  
"Like this," Raph growled, his voice had no trouble cutting through the sound of the growing blizzard.

He leaned over and started digging. Soon he grunted and straightened. "Good news. Pavement's under there."  
"Good thinking Raph. We will keep doing that now and then and make sure we are going on the right track. If we stay on the road, we should be able to get there safely enough. Donnie, where were we before you lost your map?"  
"Hmm. Good question. I think we were about half a mile away from the driveway."  
"You think?"  
"Sorry Raph, the Map was starting to get hard to read in this poor light. I was trying to move it closer to my eyes when it was blown away." Donnie said, with a self-deprecating little smile that nobody could see.

"I'm tired," Mikey said plaintively, as he leaned on Leo.  
Leo frowned. He could feel the smaller turtles violent shivering through his coat. Mikey had the least cold resistance of all of them. "It's okay, Mikey. We only got a little while to go. And once we find the driveway, it will be only another ten minutes and we will be inside and warm."  
"Okay, Leo."  
That was even more worrisome. An uncomplaining Mikey was an unnatural situation indeed. "Okay, let's get moving we been standing around long enough."  
"I'll take the lead." Raph offered. Leo smiled gratefully, which Raph didn't see. "Thanks. I was getting tired."  
"Snows getting deep. I gotcha." Raph's tone turned teasing. "Always knew you were a little wuss." "Ha ha, Raph. Very funny."

Raph took the head of the line this time, with Mikey following closely. Donnie paused, as Leo struggled to get behind him. Leo saw him fish something out of his duffel. Then next instant a huge pair of red-brown eyes blink back at him, from behind a pair of strange-looking googles.  
"What are you wearing, Donnie?" Leo asked, looking at him in confusion.  
"I modified some goggles to hopefully see through the blizzard conditions," Donnie answered, almost too softly to be heard. "Guess I have a chance to see if they work or not."  
"Yeah, just be careful. Okay?"  
Donnie only nodded, and turned to follow the others. It was clear soon that he was able to see better than the rest of them now, and Leo took care to follow close at his heels.

Silence descended. Soon as Raph got wind of Donnie's new visual acumen, he got him to change places with Mikey. Mikey didn't complain once, but dropped back to walk near Leo, as though he got comfort from being close to him. Leo let him, but didn't slack a minute. He made sure that Mikey walked at his fastest as much as he could. It was not just so they could get where they are going sooner, but so that the exercise could somehow keep him warmer. Raph seemed to have the same idea, and drove the rest even more mercilessly than Leo was. It was soon that Mikey was wheezing fitfully as he began to whine that they were killing him. Despite the annoyance of the whining, Leo smiled in relief. At least whining was normal behavior.

Donnie's silence however, was starting to worry Raph and Leo. Leo could tell it was getting to the resident hothead, from the frequent glances back. Leo tried to get the two youngest to talk some. Mikey was easier to deal with now, even if he was grating on the nerves. But Donnie only answered in brief monotone, that was impossible to hear in the wind. He seemed to shrink into himself more and more the harder the wind blew. But he answered questions about what he saw at least. And those brief answers was enlightening, if not encouraging enough. At Least they knew they were still going the right way.

Time passed. Leo and Raph changed places again. Mikey stopped whining and once again sank into an unnatural silence. Donnie was sullen and no longer responding except at need, and it was harder to get him to move faster. Leo was starting to feel the effects of the merciless cold. Only Raph seemed to not feel any adverse effects of the frigid air. The snow somehow got deeper and deeper, thicker in the wind, until Leo thought it was a mercy that Don was so prudent as to try to plan for everything.

Finally, he saw Raph turn off the road, or what Leo guessed was the road. He paused, and had a brief conversation with Donnie, who silently pointed to the right. Then they continued on again. But nothing Raph seemed to do could get Mikey and Donnie moving at a faster speed than a snail's crawl. Donnie seemed unable to drag his feet along, and Mikey was visibly shaking so hard, that the snow no longer gathered on his coat.

At last Donnie announced that he was a faint glow ahead. Without a word, Leo picked Mikey up and started carrying him where Donnie pointed and hurried after Raph. Neither brother noticed Donnie lagging behind. They hurried as fast as they can, and soon found themselves at the door of the farmhouse. True to Donnie's statement, a light was shining in one of the front windows, and Splinter, who must have somehow sensed their arrival, was opening the door with a relieved expression. It changed to one of concern when He saw the youngest and hurried them inside. "Get him on the couch," he instructed, with a motion of his paw. He paused, to cough, then added. "I have water ready for tea. Raphael, please grab some blankets. Leonardo, when you had gotten Nico Angelo comfortably situated, put a stick of wood on the fire. Where is Donatello?"

Raph and Leo stared at each other, then at the door. But no brainiac appeared. "I got him," Raph said gruffly, to hid his worry, and hurried outside again.

The storm blew thicker and harder than ever, and he had a hard time seeing his hand in front of him. "Donnie, put a hustle to it! We burning daylight here!" he yelled out, then growled and stormed out into the teeth of the storm again. And tripped a few minutes later, falling on his face in the snow. A minute passed before he started moving. Partly because he realised he had fallen on something, and that something was too warm to been out there long. He got up, and pulled his brother up on his back.

"Couldn't wait to take your nap, egg head." he said gruffly, but his touch was gentle, and his eyes full of worry, and he carried the semi-conscious turtle inside. Splinter helped him get Donnie to the easy chair and covered with warm blankets.

Leo had piled wood on the fire, which now roared almost as loudly as the wind outside now. He had gotten his snow-covered coat off, which was hanging on a chair near the blaze, steaming in the heat beside Mikey's.

Donnie's soon joined the others. Then Raph took his off last, and hung it beside the others. The heat of the fire and the room washed over the awake turtles like a comforting , they had blankets wrapped around shoulders that shivered despite their best efforts. Mikey was soon awake, and watching the others with wide blue eyes as he shivered under the mounds of blankets that covered him. Donnie did not wake, but he soon warmed enough to slide into a real sleep. Relieved, Leo set about helping Splinter get a light supper going, and Raph went to the cold wood room to get more firewood.  
Leo came back when there was soup and cocoa ready. Raph paused in his labor and glanced at him There was an expression of worry on Leo's face. He snorted. "Cut it out. They will be fine now."  
"It's not Mikey and Donnie that worry me," Leo admitted, not denying the worry, which put Raph on high alert in under a second. "It's Master Splinter. He was coughing a lot in the kitchen."  
"Catching a cold, ya think?"  
"I hope so."  
"I'm sure he's fine."  
"Yeah, but we best keep an eye out, just to be safe."  
"Worrywart."  
"Better not take chances."  
"Fine, fine. Whatever fearless."  
But Leo didn't rise to the bait. He glanced back at the kitchen. "This time, I hope it is only worry." he said somberly.

Sometime around midnight, everyone found their way to bed. In Donnie's case, he was being carried by a worry wart Leo and tucked in beside Mikey, who was already sleeping hard next to him on the bed. Donnie barely stirred, and Leo worried more when he felt the warmth radiating from the thinnest of his brothers. He glanced over at Mikey, who snored with his mouth open, and his frown deepened. There was a bright red to Mikey's cheeks under the normal green of his skin that Leo did not like.

He spoke of his concern to Raph, who only gave a noncommittal grunt and pulled the cover over his head. Leo shook his head at the action, but kept his thoughts to himself. After all, everyone needed rest. Maybe everyone will be back to normal after a long sleep.

They were not back to normal. Leo was the first to wake, and he was instantly on high alert at the sound of the rattling cough coming from Master's room. He found Splinter huddled in his bed, shivering despite the four blankets over him. A quick trip to the bathroom for a thermometer confirmed Leo's fears. A fever of a hundred and two, nothing to take lightly at Splinter's age. Still, between coughs, Splinter was able to direct Leo and guided him through the brewing of a tea and the setting up of a vaporizing pot to help his breathing.

When Leo was done with that, he stole back to Don and Mikey's room To his relief, Donnie's fever seemed to have broken overnight and he was resting well.  
Mikey was still feverish, but he seemed cooler, and slept his customary deep way, with limbs splayed like a starfish, so Leo didn't worry much about him. He would be a bit worried about Mikey kicking Donnie out of bed, but Donnie was curled up in a tight ball on his side. Not his customary way of sleeping that Leo was aware of, but maybe it was for warmth? He didn't even bother checking on Raph, Raph's chainsaw snoring alerted him to where the turtle was from where he was standing.  
He retired to the living room, checked again on Splinter, then spent an hour meditating in the living room.

Mikey was up next, and hurried to cook in the kitchen. Leo noticed his lack of energy, and hovered until Mikey snapped at him to leave him alone. A rare show of temper for Mikey, But Leo decided that it might be normal after nearly freezing the day before, and left him to the joys of cooking, certain that the normal acts of scrambling eggs and making toast would help ease Mikey's temper.

Raph was up, and heading for the kitchen just as Mikey was finishing up the meal. He yawned and set the table, as Leo poured tea for all of them, and carried Splinter's meal to him. Mikey was his smiling self again. The only off note was the sneezing, and the fact that he didn't eat as much as he normally would had. But Leo gave him a pass and attributed it to just being tired still from the trek.

Donnie didn't come down till someone, Raph, practically dragged him down the stairs. Even then, he picked at his plate and sat there with a glazed look in his eyes. Still that was pretty normal for the nerd. He did finish his toast, and two cups of black coffee, so Leo expected him to act his normal self once the caffeine hits his brain.


	8. A Change of Nurses

Donnie had fallen asleep as Raph talked. April listened, her brows pulled together in worry. When he fell silent, she reached over and patted him on the hand. "It sounded like you got everyone to the farmhouse, safe and sound." She began, in a comforting tone. But was cut off by a voice coming from the door. "No. We didn't. And we were stupid enough to think we did too."  
"Hey, Leo." Raph nodded. Leo's gaze softened as he glanced at the hot-head, who at the moment looked more tired than April had ever seen him. "Raph, go to bed. I got Donnie."  
"I should stay. He gets restless sometimes."  
"I said I got it," Leo repeated firmly, but the caress of his hand as he came over and rubbed Raph's back gave lie to the gruffness of his words. He glanced at April, then glanced away again. But the coldness of his earlier attitude was missing now. "I heard what you said, April." he said after a moment, "Sorry for thinking...well, it's not important what I thought. I'm glad you are here."  
"I am too," April said gently, as she got up, and gave him a quick hug. "No hard feelings."  
"There should be. I failed them."  
"Leo. Don't you dare talk like that." Raph growled. "Want me to smack the green of ya? Cause I will!"  
"Yeah, yeah. I'm shaking in my shell." Leo rolled his eyes. "Go to bed."  
"Get something to eat first," April added in a motherly tone. "You have been up here a while."  
"Geesh, knock it off, ya two!" Raph groused, as he unsuccessfully fought off a smile. "I ain't gonna need two mother hens!"  
"Clearly you do since you hadn't started moving yet," Leo said with a mock-stern expression on his face, and in the tone of his voice.

"M'going. 'm going. Geesh."  
"Night, Raph."  
"Night Apes."  
"Your room is ready when you want it," Leo said, a bit stiffly, as though unsure how to act around April, as the two sets of eyes watched Raph leave.  
"Is that what you been doing all this time?"  
Leo nodded, glancing at her for a moment. "And meditating. And chopping firewood."

"Busy bee."  
"I..we have to keep busy now. It's the only way to stay sane."  
"Leo. Raph was telling me about how you got to to the farmhouse."  
"I know, I heard the last part."  
"I really need to know what happened next."  
"You mean where Mikey and Splinter are?"  
April nodded, apprehensively. Leo stared at her for a moment, then nodded. "I think you already guessed. But I also think you won't be happy long with guesses. Besides….Okay. But it's not happy."  
"I had a feeling it won't be," April said softly, as though to herself. Then she looked up again quickly. "But first, did you eat?"  
"I had some of that soup. It was good."  
"Okay. Good."  
Leo sat down in the chair Raph had vacated, and wet the washcloth that rested on Donnie's forehead. "Well, like Raph said, we thought we were in the clear. More or less. Master Splinter was sick, but we felt that he just had a bad cold. Maybe the flu. Nothing he couldn't fight. Then Mikey started coughing too. And we had him to take care of. You know how a sick Mikey can be…"


	9. A Time of Rising Stress

"Mikey, you're not getting up from that bed," Leo told in in his most no-nonsense tone. "you're sick. You need to rest."  
"Aww, but it's just a cold! Besides, I'm bored!"

"I don't care how bored you get, you're not moving. We have another patient, you know." Leo snapped, his frayed nerves finally showing.  
Mikey watched him rub his bleary eyes for a moment, his own expression becoming worried. "How is Splinter?" He asked at last, more somberly than before.  
"Not so good, but Donnie said that he should pull through soon. And he's working night and day to figure out ways to treat both of you. I know you guys will be fine."  
"Nah, bra. I ain't worried!" Mikey grinned. But the look in his eyes flatly contradicted his expression.

"He's tough. I'm sure He'll be back to training us in no time."  
"Yeah, I think so too." Leo smiled faintly, as he absently tucked the blanket around Mikey's shivering form for the fifth time that hour. "Just get some sleep, okay?"  
"But I'm bored! Mikey reminded Leo, with sudden full-on puppy dog eyes. He didn't seem to realize that he was a little too old for that trick. For that matter, Leo thought wryly, Mikey might never really be too old for that trick. "Can I just go to the living room and watch t.v. please? I'll be so good. I'll stay quiet and still on the couch and watch movies and nap. I promise I'll be.."  
"Fine! Just stop whining." Leo groaned. He forgot how bad a sick bored Mikey got. "Just one peep from you, and back to bed you go. Got it?"  
"Sure thing, Leo!" Mikey saluted, with a wide grin on his face. Then his expression changed abruptly and he started coughing. Huge racking coughs that seemed to go forever and come from somewhere near his toes. Startled, and worried, Leo had him lean on his arm for support. He expected it to go away in a few seconds, but it did not. Instead, it went on, so hard and fast that Leo wondered if Mikey was even able to breathe. At last, the spasm eased, and Mikey slumped heavily against Leo's supporting arm, gasping painfully for air. Leo rubbed his shell in comforting, circular motions. At least he dead until his eyes trailed to the wad of sheets that Mikey had used to cover his mouth.

The next second, he was yelling Donnie's name, his voice full of panic. It was not Mikey's breathlessness that did it. It was not the heat radiating from his baby brother's body. It was not even the whimpers Mikey was making, or that he seemed no longer that interested in leaving his bed. The sheets were heavily stained with blood.

The next second, he was yelling Donnie's name, his voice full of panic. It was not Mikey's breathlessness that did it. It was not the heat radiating from his baby brother's body. It was not even the whimpers Mikey was making, or that he seemed no longer that interested in leaving his bed. The sheets were heavily stained with blood.

The next few days took on the air of a nightmare. One you keep thinking you will wake up from, but that never happened. Both Master Splinter and Mikey rapidly sank. Splinter seemed to rally a few times but by the end of the day, his fever was scarily high again, and he once again sunk into delirium and coma-like sleep.

Mikey never seemed to have a chance. The night they first saw him cough up blood, he was burning up with fever, barely able to sit up and was throwing up every attempt to eat or drink. Even ginger tea refused to stay down, and the lack of fluids soon took its toll. Donnie was on the clock twenty-four hours. He, being Donnie, thankfully had a small infirmary in the farmhouse. Something he had kept up with

since the first visit the ever made to the farmhouse.

So he had i.v.s. ready and in, he flitted between the two patients with nervous energy, dispensing medicine and cooling sponge baths and anything else he could think of. When he wasn't making the rounds, he was buried in the barn-lab, working with equally feverish energy, analyzing blood samples, searching for what was wrong with them and trying to come up with a cure. Because before long, it was clear to all of them that this was no normal flu.

Then Leo started sneezing, causing a panic. Then Raph found out how dusty Leo's room was, something Leo didn't notice with everything else going on and cleaned it to an inch of its life. And Leo's sneezing went away. It was something Raph teased Leo over relentlessly. After all, it was the only funny event of the week.

On day three, Splinter again seemed to be recovering. His fever dropped to 100, and he was able to sit up and eat some soup. He was the one who noticed how tired his sons were and forced them to set up a rotation so that they had time to get some sleep. On the third day, also, Raph turned on the t.v. for the first time since they got there. Leo and Don were startled when they heard him yell. "Guys! Get yer shells in here now!"

"What is it?" Leo asked, with a frown, as he leaned out of Mikey's room. "You're going to wake him, Raph!"

"I think I know what might be wrong wit im! Get in here." Raph said, not a bit quieter than before. Leo frowned and glanced back

at Don, who shrugged and stood. "We might as well go. Mikey's sleeping, and you could use a stretch."

"I'm fine."

"I want to keep you that way."

"Don't mother hen me, Don."

"Guys!? Now?!"

"We have to, or he will never shut up."

"Agreed."

The two filed out of the room and joined Raph in the living room. The picture of the t.v. was grainy, causing Don to frown in exasperation. "I thought I had that working properly." he groused, starting for it, but Raph's arm restrained him. "Forget the picture quality, watch it!"

"The town of Arnette, Texas is now under complete quartine, successfully containing an outbreak of typhus. Although no new reports have come from that area, it is rumored that the entire town has been transferred to a medical treatment center for testing. In other news, there are reports of a nasty flu outbreak in New York, San Fransisco, Miami and Oklahoma City. reports are sketchy. However, we have recently received word that a vaccine is underway, and should be delivered to the public in a week or two at the latest. If you develop flu-like symptoms, such as coughing, sneezing, fever or congestion, then please stay at home. Remember, you can keep from spreading the virus by a use of common sense! Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or a cough, drink lots of fluids and keep sanitizer handy. Wash your hands frequently. And now in other news..."

Donnie was frowning in thought as he stared at the T.V. Leo was frowning in confusion. "So, there is an outbreak? Is that what you want us to see? Think that is what Mikey has?"

"Well, yeah. But something feels off."

"I agree, Raph." Donnie nodded, with a glance at his hotheaded. "Something seems really off. Leo, I think you should get April. Let her know what is going on. I'm going...well, I'll be right back."

Leo and Raph turned to watch Donnie leave, muttering to himself. Leo thought he heard something about something starting to make sense now, but he was more in the dark than ever. "He has gone mad scientist on us?" Raph asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I think he did."


	10. Two Tense Weeks

The week passed. Another started. Then another. The only connection the turtles had was the news and internet. Nobody was able to get in contact with April. Nobody was able to get in contact with Casey. Worry about them, though second to the sickness in the farmhouse, skyrocketed. And both, especially the t.v, was getting, well, unreliable. Donnie looked at the television whenever he found a spare minute, but he couldn't figure out how to get the static to clear, and finally decided it was the network getting weird.

He didn't have a lot of time, however. He lived in his lab when he was not in one or the other sickroom. Then Leo came by with a sandwich to make him eat and found him practically blue from the cold and the walking through the snow to and from. He flipped and made Don move the lab to the farmhouse. Donnie didn't argue because it kept him closer to Splinter and Mikey.

Raph meanwhile worked almost as hard as Donnie. He did chores, chopped wood, hunted when food started running low and fetched and carried as needed. He also was present in the sickrooms, but his impatient nature at first made that hard on everyone. When he needed some down time, he turned the t.v. on to the news. So far, there been very little news about the flu, and what there was of it, was like the first day, hopeful and vague. Too vague for Raph's liking. He was soon certain that there was some kind of cover-up going on, but he kept watching, with the hope that, if his family had it, and if a vaccine would be put out for the public, then he would be the first to know, to go grab some.

Leo no longer slept. He rested by meditating exclusively. He lived in the sickrooms, meditated when both were sleeping, and serving whoever was awake hand and foot. He left only to help Raph and Don keep some food going, but the three brothers rarely ate. It was mostly to make sure there were enough soup and sick food ready for the ill. He kept the herb-seeped vaporizer going, and the water filled. He made sure the rooms was clean and as comfortable as he could make them. He was the one who cooked the sick food. Sadly, he was the one who now cooked. But there was a lot of canned soup and Ramen for quite some time, and Donnie took the time to cook the food they had originally brought for the Thanksgiving meal. Raph afterward said he preferred his turkey charred.

Then, as the food dwindled, and Raph took to hunting, Leo forced himself to learn how tho throw meat and bones into a pan of water and cook the snot out of it to make broth and stock. Donnie was forced now and then to mix flour and water and make bread and crackers since baking was something he actually enjoyed. Otherwise, the three didn't really care, as long as there was soup for Mikey and Splinter. But, despite all their care, the sick only got sicker, weaker and less and less aware of the world around them.

Splinter was more aware, for longer periods of time, and was always asking how his sons were doing. He instructed Donnie on the mixing and steeping of herbs for the vaporizer. And Donnie let him because he felt like a refresher didn't hurt anyone. Splinter advised Leo on what to add to the broths and stocks he made and praised all of their efforts to grow and take care of each other. And when he was at his strongest, he asked to be helped to go to Mikey's room and sit by him so Raph and Don could do something else for a time. He had resigned himself to Leo's care and presence since for once, his most obedient son was far too stubborn in this one thing. But his last trip was long past, and his illness was wearing away at him. He seemed to lose ground more slowly, but he lost it steadily.

Mikey no longer fully woke up. He rose partly to consciousness sometimes, but never managed to wake fully. He lost weight at a scary rate. He swallowed broth when it was put in his mouth. But otherwise, he was pretty unresponsive to everything. HIs fever never seemed to drop below a hundred and three, and Donnie worried over the possibility of brain damage. Mikey just laid in bed or was moved to the tub in an effort to cool down his raging fever, his breath rasping in short spurts, his skin dark with dry fever, his neck swelling with the look of dark bruising. Raph said it looked like someone tried to strangle him and didn't quite finish the job.

So taken was Raph and Leo in watching and worrying over Mikey and Splinter, that neither noticed that Donnie was starting to cough as well. Donnie noticed it, but he wrote it off as just a cold, forgetful of the fact that Mikey thought that his sickness was just a cold at first as well. So, since it was only a cold, he dosed himself with Dayquail, and kept working, feverishly studying blood samples and working toward a cure. Because the results of the blood samples filled him with fear. Without really telling them why Donnie started demanding samples from Raph and Leo. And it showed how preoccupied they were when neither ever demanded why.


	11. The Podcast

"Guys? Guys! Get over here!"

The raw sound of panic in Donnie's voice drew Leo's and Raph's attention like a magnet. Raph jerked to his feet, and, after a quick glance to make sure Splinter's sleep continued undisturbed, bolted toward where Don's voice came from. Leo, who was busy with the tedious and worrying task of dribbling a little broth at a time to get Mikey to eat without risking choking him, reacted slower. He put the bowl aside and stood carefully. Then he walked out of the room and toward Donnie. The others have been worried about Leo of late. He so obviously was about to drop, yet would not hear one word about going to bed. "Not until the crisis point is over." Was all he would keep saying.

"What? Are you under attack? what's wrong?" Raph demanded, hurriedly.

Leo said nothing, just took a silent observation. Don was staring at the computer with a strange, wide-eyed stare. He was standing, and it was clear to Leo that he just stood and in a hurry, because the chair behind him was pushed back and had toppled over as though it was done really forcefully. One of the wheels was noticeably up and was still spinning. For some reason, Leo had a really hard time looking away from that spinning wheel as it slowed.

"Donnie. Talk to me. What's wrong?"

"I...listen!"

Raph frowned and turned his attention to the computer as well. Leo nudged Raph to the side and entered the room to stand beside Don. Raph, after a second's pause, followed.

"Yeah, I'm looking outta my kitchen window right now, Ray." One voice was saying over the speakers. "And there are some army men digging a long ditch. I mean a really long ditch! It's stretching out as far as I can see, right alongside the road! Earlier, some trucks drove by, covered. But I thought I saw an arm poking out. Oh, this is horrible! Thank you for talking about this. I...I think I would have gone mad if I couldn't talk about this."

"What is this about, Don."

Donnie shook his head. He glanced at Leo, but Leo got the feeling that he wasn't really seeing him. "They were doing this for an hour now, I think. Just all the death. What is this? Why are we not hearing about this if it's so...so..."

"Yeah, why ain't we hearing more about this damn flu?" Raph growled.

But a sudden sound caused three heads to whip toward the computer again, where the little bar was still moving toward the end. A podcast, Leo figured out at last. Donnie was listening to some kind of Podcast. He glanced at the top of the screen. Speak Your Piece, Ray Flower.

Afterward, Leo decided that knowing the name was so important just then because his mind was desperately trying to deny what he was hearing.

there was the sudden sound of glass breaking somewhere in the distance, mingled with the words. "Open up! Open up in the name of the United States!"

The sound of glass breaking went on for a moment longer, then the much closer sound of a man started speaking. "Well folks, look like the marines have landed. but we'll just keep on taking calls, shall we"

The sudden sound of a machine gun firing caused Raph to swear under his breath. Even he didn't know yet why he was so quiet. It was like the strange drama had all of the hypnotized. But they all knew one thing, this was not scripted. They fought enough to know when real guns were being fired.

Followed quickly was the sound of something thudding loudly, then the sound of fast-moving, heavy footfalls.

"Several soldiers just broke into the outer office.." Said the voice that was close and clear enough that the turtle brothers was able to hear it shake a bit despite clear efforts to be calm. They are fully armed...they look like they are ready to start mop-up operation in France eighty years ago. Except for the respirators on their faces..."

"Shut it down!" Yelled another voice. It sounded faintly muffled.

"I think not!" The man yelled back defiantly, though the slight tremor in his voice grew noticeably. "This station and all associated to it is licensed bu the FCC and I'm"

"I'm revoking your license, ass! Now shut down!"

"I think not. Ladies and Gentlemen, I have been ordered to shut down the recording of this podcast, and I have refused the order, quite properly, I think. These men are acting like Nazis, not American soldiers. I am not."

"Last chance!"

Another voice broke in, sounding young and uncertain. "Sargent, I don't think you can just..."

"If that man says anything else, waste him."

There was a silence for about five seconds. Then the one closest spoke, his voice sounding suddenly eerily calm and detached. "I think they are going to shoot me."

The next moment, the thick sound of guns being fired filled the air. It went on even after the muffled sound of something heavy hitting the floor. Then there was nothing but silence, dreadful empty silence.

Donnie seemed to have forgotten that the chair was not behind him. He ended up landing heavily on the floor. Raph stared at the computer, looking like someone turned his brain off. Leo gulped and tried to look away. But his eyes were glued to the screen. As though staring at it could somehow hear everything in the last few minutes. How long was it? it felt like an hour. But it was ten minutes. If that.

Finally, they reacted to what happened.

Raph swore again. This time, it was not quiet. He looked ready to kill something, but there was nothing to kill. So he swore, darkly and insistently. Leo let him. Leaning over, he silently offered a hand to Don, who mutely took it and allowed Leo to haul him to his feet.

The two's eyes met.

"You okay?"

"No."

Leo nodded, his eyes turning again to the screen, to that line that stopped forever.

"Why? what is going on out there?" Donnie asked, in a slow, calm manner that sent a shiver down Leo's spine.

"Maybe they are trying to keep people from panicking?"

"From denying the truth? By killing? This is not right."

"What are you going to do about it, Donnie? If they are killing humans, they would have no problem shooting you or me, at this point."

The silence that followed Leo's words was cold, and still as ice. Raph managed to break it. "We always had that reality ta live with, Leo."

"But what can we do?" Leo asked again, helplessly.

Don frowned and straightened his shoulders with a sudden air of resolution. "I don't know what you and Raph are going to do. But I am going to find a cure. Then I'll make sure the stupid humans get it!"

"How close are you?" Leo asked, starting to look hopeful.

"I broke down the basic structure. But...Leo, I won't bug is damned adaptive! Everything I threw at it so far just seemed to make it retreat for a moment, then come back stronger than ever. But I think I hit on something promising with the last sample. It stopped for a while. I'll let you know more by the end of the day."

"Why are you going to give them anything? Ain't they showing they ain't worth it?" Raph asked angrily.

"For the ones we know are worth it," Donnie said simply.


	12. An E-mail and a Newspaper

(Writer's note. I forgot to write this in the installments before, but I don't own anything. Well, anything but the dream walkers themselves. I don't think anyone else has a concept like them. Expect more from them soon. Also, Do not own a book that is patently being used right now. Have you figured out which one it is? ^_^ I won't say. But I think it's becoming clear. Wait till you find out why it's being used, and by who...:P)

Address: KnowiTall17

To: BlueHank707

Subject: Think Tank

Greetings, sir.

I had read your announcement. I had been tinkering with something here. I have ill relatives and had been forced to take matters in my own somewhat unskilled hands. Are you looking for more information? So am I, to be honest. My brother is on death's door. My Father is struggling and I'm at my wit's end. I do know anymore if I am on the verge of a breakthrough, on on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Here, I have sent all the data I have collected so far. I know that it is rough and most likely unorthodox. I had to make do with very little and less training for a very long time now, and hope you can make some sense of it. There is also a, well, a serum that is starting to show promise. I have found one of my other brother's blood has a natural resistance to the virus. He has it but shows no symptoms so far. It could be that he is merely asymptomatic for the moment and that it will rise up and kill him at any moment, but so far, my analysis of his blood samples show no cell penetration and no activity of the virus whatsoever. I believe the virus is dying inside him. I sent all data surrounding this development in my attachment with the rest.

So far, the serum had been effective on the tests, and I now have a recovering rabbit of the flu.

Can you send it to me by this email address, the information that you have gathered? I really am trying hard to cure my brother, and if you have a more effective method, or know a way to refine what I am sending, I will be eternally grateful. If there is any way I can assist in this think tank you and Mr. Wayne are trying to assemble, please let me know. I am not always treated well by humans. But I don't wish most of them dead.

Respectfully,

Front Page Article from The Daily Planet

Written by Lois Lane

Doctor Hank McCoy, well-known mutant and mutant advocate, has joined forces with Bruce Wayne in the face of growing opposition to Government involvement in the possible suppression of information regarding the pandemic called Super Flu, or Captain Trips. There is no news from the President, and reports from Washington has become sketchy. There had been soldiers on the Daily Planet site, with the goal in mind of keeping us from reporting the truth, but thankfully, our resident boy in blue stepped in and told them what they can go do with themselves.

Earlier today, Superman had released a statement to the press at a conference, that also included the Avengers. He had this to say. "I know that our leaders have the best of intentions, but the time for martial law is over. At least in the way that it had been handled up until now. Instead of the military alone, the Justice League will be teaming up with the Avengers to help maintain order, and to give assistance where it is needed. We are still in full force, and it would be my personal pleasure to assist in this, during one of the worst crises this planet has yet to witness. Thank you."

The hero, known as the Flash of the Justice League, had already been very active in assisting flu victims, volunteering untold hours assisting in the transport of patients, of information to those cut off because of disconnected or faulty internet services, and in spreading the word about the real issues involving the pandemic. However, he was unavailable for comment.

Many other superbeings stepped up to assist in the emergency.

In other news. Captain Trips latest casualties include businessman and philanthropist, Lex Luthor. He died yesterday at four in the morning, due to complications caused by the flu. RIP. A complete list of casualties yesterday will be in the obituaries, with a special focus on Captain Tripps Victims. There is some talk of a monument in the honor of the victims at a later date, but currently, most of the work is centered on saving those who are still alive.

The group calling themselves, the Avengers had also been on a mission, further eradicating the attempted cover-up of news of Captain Trips. Tony Starks, known also as Iron Man had this to say on the subject at yesterday's conference, set up by a joint arrangement between Wayne Enterprise and Stark Enterprises. "Yes we all know that the government is full of self-important retards, but this is taking that to a whole new level of stupid. And we can no longer humor their insanity. I mean, what are they going to do? Kill the entire company of heroes? Good luck with that one! We need to let the public know just how much they messed up. And we need to let the public know how hard we are working to fix it. Who knows? The next hero might come from the public. But we won't know and they won't know how to be one unless they know just what is going down. And don't give me any nonsense about how they don't need to be scared or that we would only cause a panic. Do you really think killing people who are trying to get the truth out won't cause a panic? Do you really think seeing people die around them won't cause a panic? Look, all I ask is that the Government stop drinking the Koolaid, and get some real, serious work done. Before it is too late for anyone. Thank you."

"There are many heroes already." Added Captain America. "All over the world. All we ask is that everyone puts aside hostilities, and work together for the common goal of finding a cure, and helping as many people as possible."

Editorial

I would like to include my name among the other 'freedom fighters' and appeal to other papers to fight off the suffocating blanket of suppression and write as you would. We have powerful backing now, and the truth needs to go out! The people need to know. And if the government doesn't see it that way, then perhaps they need to be forced to see it. Is this going in in other countries? People of the world, unite and fight this! Full Transparency! Full Disclosure! Or what are we trying so hard to save?


End file.
